STRYKER 
The  Seed  Controversy, 


THE 


-  Reed  Controversy. 


THE 


REED  CONTROVERSY 


FURTHER    FACTS    WITH    REFERENCE   TO    THE 
CHARACTER  OF 

JOSEPH  REED, 

ADJUTANT  GENERAL  ON  THE  STAFF  X)F  GENERAL 
WASHINGTON. 


(PRINTED   FOR   PRIVATE   DISTRIBUTION.) 


TRENTON,  N.  J.: 

JOHN  L.  MURPHY,  STATE  GAZETTE  PRINTING  HOUSE. 
1876.  . 


first  attack  made  on  the  military  record  of  Joseph 
Reed,  Adjutant  General  on  the  Staff  of  General  Washing- 
ton in  the  Revolutionary  War,  was  an  article  addressed 
to  the  "Independent  Gazetteer,"  September  3d,  1782.  It  was 
signed  "  Brutus,"  and  has  generally  supposed  to  have  been  writ- 
ten by  Dr.  Benjamin  Rush.  General  Reed,  however,  thought 
his  former  comrade,  General  John  Cadwalader,  was  the  author, 
and  he  addressed  a  communication  to  him,  dated  November  ist, 
1782,  to  show  the  falsity  of  the  innuendos  concerning  himself. 
A  reply  was  made  by  General  Cadwalader  early  in  the  year  1783. 
In  May,  1847,  tne  life  and  correspondence  of  Joseph  Reed  by 
his  grandson  William  B.  Reed,  was  published,  which  presented 
the  character  of  General  Reed  in  the  most  exalted  light.  In 
the  year  1856,  the  attacks  upon  General  Reed  were  renewed  in 
a  pamphlet  entitled  "Nuts  for  future  Historians  to  crack,"  by 
Horace  W.  Smith.  This  document  contained  a  re-print  of  Gen- 
eral Cadwalader's  reply  to  General  Reed  with  the  addition  of 
certain  anonymous  papers,  first  published  in  the  "Evening  Jour- 
nal," in  September  and  October,  1842,  and  commonly  called 
the  "Valley  Forge  Letters."  In  the  year  1866,  the  Hon. 
Geotge  Bancroft  published  the  Ninth  Volume  of  his  History 


4  THE  REED  CONTROVERSY. 

of  the  United  States  of  America,  which  contains  much  new  mat- 
ter relating  to  this  subject,  and  re-opened  the  controversy.  In 
February,  1867,  Mr.  William  B.  Reed  replied  thereto  in  a  pam- 
phlet entitled  "  President  Reed,  of  Pennsylvania,  a  reply  to 
George  Bancroft  and  others."  This  was  followed  in  the  same 
year  by  Mr.  Bancroft,  with  "Joseph  Reed,  a  Historical  Essay." 
A  rejoinder  by  Mr.  Reed  the  following  year,  closed  the  discus- 
sion. 

The  correspondence  herein  contained,  gives  some  further  facts 
in  the  Reed  controversy,  and  can  hardly  fail  to  attract  the  atten- 
tion of  antiquarians  searching  for  facts  which  have  remained 
concealed  a  hundred  years. 


STATE  OF  NEW  JERSEY,         "\ 

OFFICE  OF  ADJUTANT  GENERAL, 

TRKNTON,  January  26th,  1876.  3 

Dr.  George  H.  Moore,  New  York  Historical  Society,  New  York 

City  : 
MY  DEAR  SIR  : 

As  a  searcher  after  historical  truth,  I  desire  to  present  you 
with  some  facts  which  I  have  lately  discovered  in  reference  to 
one  of  the  charges  made  against  Colonel  Joseph  Reed,  Adjutant 
General  to  General  Washington,  that  he  took  protection  from 
the  enemy  during  the  Revolutionary  War. 

The  data  which  I  shall  give  you  were  not  ascertained  until  my 
work  "  Jerseymen  in  the  Revolutionary  War,"  was  in  print, 
and  therefore  the  final  record  of  the  officer  I  shall  refer  to  does 
not  appear  therein. 

In  Mr.  Bancroft's  "  History  of  the  United  States,"  gth  vol., 
page  229,  we  find  in  the  original  text,  as  a  foot-note,  an  extract 
from  the  diary  of  Colonel  Donop,  the  Hessian  commander  of 
the  advance  guard  of  the  British  Army,  dated  December  2ist, 
1776. 

Again,  in  the  pamphlet,  "Joseph  Reed,  a  Historical  Essay 
by  George  Bancroft,"  page  27,  the  same  passage  is  repeated, 
with  translation  added  : 

"  Der  Oberst  Reed,  der  neulich  eine  Protection  erhalten, 
seye  dem  General  Mifrlin  entgegen  gekommen,  und  habe  dem- 
selben  declarirt,  dass  er  nicht  gesonnen  sey  weiteres  zu  dienen, 
worauf  ihm  Mifrlin  sehr  hart  begegnete  und  ihm  sogar  einen  dem 
Rascal  geheissen  habe." 

"  Colonel  Reed,  who  lately  received  a  Protection,  is  said  to 
have  gone  up  to  General  Mifflin  and  declared  to  him  that  he 
was  not  disposed  to  serve  any  longer,  upon  which  Mifrlin  rnet 
him  very  harshly,  and  even  called  him  a  damned  rascal." 


6  THE  REED  CONTROVERSY. 

Allow  me  to  call  your  attention  to  the  record  of  a  certain 
Colonel  Read,  of  New  Jersey. 

On  the  27th  day  of  November,  1776,  in  compliance  with 
Washington's  request,  conveyed  to  Governor  Livingston  by 
Adjutant  General  Reed,  the  Legislature  of  this  State  passed  an 
act  to  organize  State  Troops,  by  embodying,  as  occasion 
required,  a  certain  quota  of  volunteers  from  the  militia  of  the 
different  counties. 

The  law  contemplated  the  raising  of  four  battalions,  on 
account  of  "  the  present  situation  of  publick  affairs,  and  partic- 
ularly the  invasion  of  the  State  by  the  enemy."  These  bat- 
talions were  to  be  "  immediately  got  in  readiness  and  marched 
to  join  the  army  under  the  command  of  His  Excellency  General 
Washington."  They  were  to  continue  in  service  until  the  ist 
day  of  April,  1777.  One  of  the  battalions  to  be  formed  was  to 
consist  of  three  companies  from  the  county  of  Middlesex,  two 
companies  from  the  county  of  Monmouth,  and  three  companies 
from  the  county  of  Burlington.  For  this  battalion  Charles 
Read,  the  Colonel  of  the  Second  Battalion  of  Burlington 
Militia,  was  detailed  as  Colonel  to  command. 

The  records  of  this  office  show  that  Charles  Read  was  in  com- 
mission as  Colonel,  and  Thomas  Seabrook,  of  First  Battalion, 
Monmouth  Militia,  as  Lieutenant  Colonel  of  said  Battalion  of 
State  Troops,  and  it  does  not  appear  that  the  battalion  ever  did 
any  service  under  these  officers,  for  Lieutenant  Colonel  Sea- 
brook  "refused  taking  the  oaths  to  the  State,"  and  Colonel 
Read  took  protection  from  the  enemy. 

During  the  "Confusion  of  the  Times,"  the  Legislature 
adjourned  December  2d,  1776,  from  Burlington  to  Trenton. 
But  on  the  22d  of  January,  1777,  they  met  in  Pittston,  and  on 
the  2Qth  we  find  them  in  session  at  Haddonfield,  sixteen  miles 
from  Mount  Holly.  During  the  month  of  February  the  Legis- 
lature was  busily  employed  in  organizing  the  Second  Establish- 
ment, Continental  Line.  These  matters  undoubtedly  delayed 
the  reorganization  of  the  Militia  and  State  Troops,  and  the  con- 


THE  REED  CONTROVERSY.  7 

duct  of  Colonel  Read  did  not  become  officially  public.  But  on 
the  i5th  day  of  March,  1777,  Governor  Livingston,  in  special 
message,  reported  : 

"  Colonel  Charles  Read,  of  one  of  the  Burlington  Battalions, 
is  in  such  a  situation  with  Respect  to  his  having  submitted  to 
the  Enemy,  that  it  is  not  probable  he  will  act  any  longer  in  that 
office." 

I  take  it  for  granted  that  Colonel  Donop  thought  the  force 
in  front  of  him  was  commanded  by  General  Mifflin,  who  cer- 
tainly was  on  his  way  to  Lancaster,  Penn.,  at  that  time,  and 
that  he  referred  to  a  conversation  held  by  a  Colonel  Reed  with 
Colonel  Samuel  Griffin,  a  name  sounding  not  unlike  Mifflin, 
who  was  at  that  time  doing  all  in  his  power  to  harass  the 
British  troops. 

Without  entering  into  the  discussion  as  to  the  whereabouts  of 
Colonel  Joseph  Reed  between  the  i4th  of  December,  when  the 
Hessian  advance  entered  the  Black  Horse,  and  the  2ist  of 
December,  when  the  entry  was  made  in  the  diary,  it  certainly 
does  appear  to  me  that  he  could  not  have  taken  protection 
during  that  time,  have  had  this  interview  with  the  commander 
of  the  American  troops  opposing  the  Hessian  column,  been 
entrusted  by  letter  of  Washington,  dated  December  23d,  with 
the  secret  of  the  intended  surprise  at  Trenton,  and  then  fail  to 
communicate  the  same  to  Donop,  only  six  miles  away. 

I  ask  your  candid  opinion,  is  it  not  altogether  probable  that 
Colonel  Charles  Read,  who  had  large  landed  interests  in  Bur- 
lington county,  while  on  his  way  from  Mount  Holly  to  his  home 
in  the  southern  part  of  the  county,  might  have  been  the  Read 
who,  having  "  lately  received  protection,"  told  Griffin  "  that 
he  was  not  disposed  to  serve  any  longer." 

I  am,  very  truly,  yours, 

WILLIAM  S.  STRYKER, 
Adjutant  General  of  New  Jersey. 


8  THE  REED  CONTROVERSY. 

STATE  OF  NEW  JERSEY, 
OFFICE  OF  ADJUTANT  GENERAL, 

TRENTON,  February  gth,  1876.  J 

Dr.  George  H.  Moore,  New  York  Historical  Society,  New  York 
City : 

MY  DEAR  SIR  : 

I  desire  to  add  another  fact  bearing  on  the  subject  concerning 
which  I  addressed  you  in  my  letter  of  January  26th. 

Since  writing  you  I  have  seen  an  extract  from  the  official 
report  of  Colonel  Donop,  from  his  headquarters  at  Bordentown, 
to  Major-General  Grant  at  New  Brunswick.  The  passage  I 
quote  is  of  the  same  date,  December  2ist,  1776,  as  the  entry  in 
his  diary  before  alluded  to. 

"  Ce  qui  est  bien  sur,  c'est  que  le  meme  pres  midi  Gen.  Mifflin 
est  avanc6  avec  un  corps  Rebelle  sur  la  route  de  Moorstown, 
jusqu'au  Pont  de  trois  miles  eloignees  de  Mont-holly,  mais  qu'il 
n'a  rien  enterpris  que  de  ruiner  entierement  ce  pont  apres  qu'il 
est  retourne  a  Moorstown.  Le  Col.  Reed,  qui  dernierement  a 
recu  une  protection  a  rencontre  le  Gen.  Mifflin,  aupres  de  ce 
Pont,  et  lui  a  declare  qu'il  avoit  quitte  le  parti  Rebelle,  sur  quoi 
Mifflin  1'a  traite  tres  durement,  le  nommant  a  dam'  Raskel,  et 
aparamment  il  1'a  emmene  comme  prisonnier  avec  lui,  puisque 
depuis  on  ne  1'a  plus  vu  a  Blackhorse." 

While  Donop's  diary  is  in  German,  his  report  to  his  British 
commanding  officer  is  in  French,  and  French  of  a  very  indiffer- 
ent quality.  However,  the  meaning  is  clear,  that  General  Miff- 
lin (referring  to  Colonel  Griffin,)  had  advanced  his  rebel  corps  to 
the  bridge  on  the  Moorestown  road,  three  miles  from  Mount 
Holly.  That  Colonel  Reed  had  met  him  near  this  bridge  and 
had  the  conversation  before  referred  to,  and  that  Mifflin  had  as 
it  appeared  taken  him  off  as  a  prisoner,  as  he  had  not  since  been 
seen  at  the  Black  Horse. 

I  desire  to  call  your  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  bridge 
spoken  of  here,  is  on  the  road  which  Colonel  Charles  Read,  of 


THE  REED  CONTROVERSY.  9 

the  Burlington  Militia,  would  have  taken  whenever  he  travelled 
between  Mount  Holly  and  his  home. 

It  is  apparent  also,  that  Colonel  Griffin  did  carry  off  Colonel 
Charles  Read  as  Colonel  Donop  reported.  In  the  Memorandum 
Book  of  the  Council  of  Safety,  of  Pennsylvania,  which  may  be 
found  in  the  office  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Commonwealth,  at 
Harrisburg,  we  find  just  one  month  later  Colonel  Read  of  New 
Jersey  in  Philadelphia,  and  in  the  custody  of  Colonel  Richard 
Humpton,  then  commanding  nth  Pennsylvania  Regiment, 
Continental  Line. 

The  following  is  the  extract : 

"January  2ist,  1777. — The  following  Prisoners,  taken  in  New 
Jersey,  were  sent  by  Col.  Humpton  to  the  Council. 

Col.  Charles  Reed,  discharged  on  giving  his  word  not  to  quit 
Phil.,  without  leave." 

This  memorandum  is  noted  in  Pennsylvania  Archives,  Second 
Series,  Vol.  I,  Page  496. 

I  think  this  is  additional  proof  that  Donop  refers  in  his  diary 
and  in  his  report  of  the  same  date,  to  Colonel  Read,  2d  Bur- 
lington Battalion,  New  Jersey  Militia,  who  received  a  Protec- 
tion, was  taken  prisoner  and  then  gave  his  parole,  and  not  to 
Colonel  Reed,  the  Adjutant  General  of  the  Army. 
I  am  yours,  very  sincerely, 

WILLIAM  S.  STRYKER, 
Adjutant  General  of  New  Jersey. 


WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  1,623  H  ST.,  ") 

February  10,  1876.       j 

MY  DEAR  SIR: 

My  friend,  Mr.  Moore,  has  allowed  me  to  read  the  letter 
which  you  addressed  to  him  on  the  26th  January  last. 

I  have  immediately  perceived  the  bearing  of  your  discoveries 
and  have  profited  by  them. 


10 


THE  REED  CONTROVERSY. 


May  I  ask  of  you  the  favor  to  permit  me  to  be  the  first  to 
announce  them  to  the  public  ?     If  you  will  do  so,  you  may  be 
sure  that  I  shall  give  all  the  honor  to  you,  to  whom  is  due  the 
clearing  up  of  what  before  was  indistinct  and  perplexing. 
I  remain,  my  dear  General, 

Very  sincerely  your  obliged, 

GEO.  BANCROFT. 
Adjutant  General  W.  S.  Stryker. 


STATE  OF  NEW  JERSEY, 

OFFICE  OF  ADJUTANT  GENERAL, 

TRENTON,  February  I5th,  1876.  ,) 
MY  DEAR  SIR  : 

Your  kind  favor  of  the  loth  was  received  to-day.  I  am 
pleased  that  my  communication  of  January  26th  to  Mr.  Moore 
was  sent  you  by  him,  and  am  gratified  to  find,  as  I  infer  from 
your  note,  that  you  agree  with  me  as  to  the  bearing  of  my  dis- 
coveries. 

I  do  not  propose  to  give  further  publicity  to  the  result  of  my 
investigations,  but  should  you  deem  them  of  sufficient  import- 
ance to  be  more  widely  made  known,  I  shall  feel  highly  gratified 
to  have  them  reach  the  public  through  so  illustrious  a  channel. 
I  have  the  honor  to  be  yours,  very  truly, 

WILLIAM  S.  STRYKER, 
Adjutant  General  of  New  Jersey. 
Hon.  George  Bancroft,   Washington,  D.  C. 


In  the  Centenary  edition  of  Bancroft's  History  of  the  United 
States,  Vol.  V,  Chap,  xiii,  page  479,  the  following  note  appears 


THE  REED  CONTROVERSY.  It 

in  reference  to  the  entry  of  December  2ist,  1776,  in  Donop's 
official  report  to  General  Grant : 

"  From  discoveries  recently  made  in  the  New  Jersey  archives 
by  Adjutant  General  William  S.  Stryker,  I  think  there  can  be 
no  doubt  that  the  Colonel  Reed  referred  to  in  this  passage,  and 
in  the  corresponding  words  of  the  Donop  German  diary,  was 
Colonel  Charles  Read  of  New  Jersey,  who  is  known  to  have 
'submitted  to  the  enemy.'  " 


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